Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy. Did I mention backups?
The most important factor to consider when implementing a
paperless office is redundancy.
Redundancy is important at many steps in the paperless office
workflow. For instance, it is important
to have multiple backups of your data across at least two locations to ensure
against loss in a fire or other catastrophic event. Redundancy is also important with respect to
ensuring that electronic documents are correctly entered into your system. Your network administrator will be able to
identify a redundancy solution that works for you.
Security
As stated above, a competent network administrator is
already necessary to your practice in order to comply with ethical and
practical requirements. In connection
with implementing a paperless office, your network administrator should perform
a security audit to confirm that your systems are secure.
Equipment and workflows
In implementing a paperless office, you will need to
identify your current software and hardware configurations and evaluate whether
you need to add additional scanning equipment, practice management software, or
paper capture software. You will need
equipment having enough monthly duty cycles to handle your firm’s paper usage,
and the software should be configurable to minimize user interaction beyond
scanning, naming, and saving documents in the appropriate file. Your network administrator will be able to
assist you with designing a hardware, software, and workflow configuration for
implementing your own paperless office according to your specific needs.
The purpose of this series is not to peddle specific gadgets
or software, which is why no recommendations about specific products are made
in these materials. Rather, this course
aims to teach the concepts underlying a framework upon which a less
paper-reliant practice may be built.
Modern practice management demands something very different than
technological snake-oil requiring minimal user input from your practice. For most law firms, effective paper
management necessitates a change in philosophy about when paper is truly
necessary.
Depending on your current configuration, you will need to
consider whether moving to a paperless office makes sense. When one considers the costs of time, maintenance,
disposal, and environmental impact of printing thousands of reams of paper each
year, it makes sense to minimize the use of paper when possible.
One last thing…
I would recommend that all litigation attorneys who have
paperless offices take small laser printers to evidentiary hearings and
trials. In our practice, we always
prepare our anticipated evidence for hearings and trials, but occasionally we
need to submit a document that we don’t already have in paper. Sometimes paper is necessary,
and a small printer helps tremendously in such a situation.
